Welcome!
"..they (libraries) have a moral obligation to make information available to all categories of users regardless of their gender, age, race, political affiliation or disability" (Babalola & Yacob, 2011).
Libraries strive to serve the needs of all their patrons, and this includes the visually impaired. To be visually impaired is to be a person who is partially sighted to completely blind (Friend, 2009). Many libraries serve adult with visual impairments very well, with both audio and large print editions of works, but this is not always the case for children and young adults. For patron bases that include both children and young adults who are visually impaired, there is a need for librarians and libraries to provide materials and programming that can serve or be adapted to fit the needs of this patron base. As of 2009, "only 5% of all published works are produced in accessible formats" for those who are visually impaired (Friend, 2009). This mean that libraries have the opportunity to work in creative ways to help make reading and literacy for those with visual impairments more accessible.
This site provides background on the information needs that are specifically associated with the visually impaired, practical advice for those who wish to better serve this population, examples of successful and related programs, as well as ways to evaluate use, and possible funding sources.
This site was created by Maggie Wolf.
Libraries strive to serve the needs of all their patrons, and this includes the visually impaired. To be visually impaired is to be a person who is partially sighted to completely blind (Friend, 2009). Many libraries serve adult with visual impairments very well, with both audio and large print editions of works, but this is not always the case for children and young adults. For patron bases that include both children and young adults who are visually impaired, there is a need for librarians and libraries to provide materials and programming that can serve or be adapted to fit the needs of this patron base. As of 2009, "only 5% of all published works are produced in accessible formats" for those who are visually impaired (Friend, 2009). This mean that libraries have the opportunity to work in creative ways to help make reading and literacy for those with visual impairments more accessible.
This site provides background on the information needs that are specifically associated with the visually impaired, practical advice for those who wish to better serve this population, examples of successful and related programs, as well as ways to evaluate use, and possible funding sources.
This site was created by Maggie Wolf.